Job searching is really a numbers game. Research has indicated that it takes about 15-20 contacts to find a decision maker and on average one must connect with 25 decision makers to find a job. This may sound formidable, but it is actually a blessing in disguise. These numbers provide basic metrics that can help you track your progress. One of the best ways to do this is by creating and maintaining your own status report. Using a status report can help you track tangible results and make adjustments and stay on target with your job search.
Some of the items that you will want to include in your status report include:
- Amount of hours worked. Quite simply, this represents the amount of hours that you worked in any given day according to your calendar.
- Number of networking meetings. Track the number of meetings that you attended in a given day, including both one-on-one and group meetings. This will give you a good visual indicator of how much time you are actually spending on presenting yourself to other people.
- New contacts that you make. Every time you meet someone that you can add to your professional network, write down their information in a contact sheet and make a note of this in your status report. The amount of contacts that you make is important as it reflects directly on how many people are aware that you are searching for a job. The broader your network, the more opportunities that you are likely to find.
- Number of interviews. Take notes on how many phone and personal interviews that you attend for open positions with potential employers.
- Number of job offers. Certainly the most exciting piece of information to fill in, this information will help you to track the job offers that you have received during your search.
While you might think that you will be able to track all of this information in your head, keeping it written down gives you a good visual means of tracking your progress in your job search and makes it easier to evaluate the effectiveness of the work that you are putting into it. Begin creating your status report today and help yourself succeed in your job hunt!
